Mets' Ronny Mauricio: Working with Soto on patience

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Mauricio has been putting in work in the batting cage with Juan Soto to try and improve his plate discipline, Will Sammon of the Athletic reports.

Chasing balls out of the zone is the biggest weakness for Mauricio, and he couldn't ask for a better tutor in the art of staying patient than Soto, who boasts a career .418 OBP in the majors. "He has been progressing really well," Soto said Sunday. "He's a really smart kid. He's been doing a really good job in the cage. He's trying to stop chasing a little bit, and he's doing it the past couple weeks with good takes, better decisions and swinging the bat well. He is on the right path." The numbers back up the superstar's assessment -- after a 2-for-4 showing in Sunday's loss to the Royals, Mauricio is slashing .302/.388/.512 over his last 14 games with three doubles, two homers, and a palatable 22.4 percent strikeout rate against a 12.2 percent walk rate. If the 24-year-old switch hitter continues to work the count and get better pitches to hit, he could be in line for a big second half, and potentially alleviate the need for the Mets to pursue an upgrade at third base before the trade deadline.